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D THD CG. N.Y.( USBORNES PRDDESS) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

V. O. SPENCER AND J. R. SPENCER, 0F MANSFIELD, IENNSYLVANTA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,080, dated February 7, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, V. C. SPENCER and J. R. SPENCER, both of Mansfield,in the county of Tioga and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand Improved Animal Trap; and we do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe annexed drawings, making a part of this speci fication, in which-,Figure l is a plan or top view of our invention. Fig. Q, a horizontalsection of the same taken in the line a', Fig. 3. Fig. 3, a frontelevation of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to an improved self setting trap, and is moreespecially designed for catching rats and mice.

The invention consists in the employment or use of a revolving partitionplaced within a. suitable box and provided with a treadlecatch,bait-box, and a discharge opening, substantially as hereinafter fullyshown and described whereby the device may be placed over a barrel orother suitable vessel, containing water, and the animals not onlyentrapped but destroyed at the same time; the trap setting itself aftereach operation of entrapping.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct ourinvention, we will proceed to describe it.

A represents a box which may be constructed of sheet metal or wood. Thisbox is fitted on a base B through which an opening a is made, saidopening being within the box A, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Vithin thebox A, at its center a vertical shaft b is placed said shaft passingthrough a parti tion C which divides the box A, into two compartments c(Z as shown in Fig. 2. The shaft b and partition C are allowed to rotatefreely within the box A. The shaft Z) projects upward through the top ofthe box A, and has a rope or cord c wound around it, said cord passingover a pulley f and having a weight g, attached to its end. The weightand cord have a tendency to rotate the partition C, but the latter isheld by means of a catch h., which is attached to one side of a springtreadle or platform D, at the back part of the compartment c.

The opening a in the bottom G of the box A, is within the compartment las shown clearly in Fig. 2, and in the top of t-he box there is placed acatch z' which prevents the rotation of the partition C in the wrongdirection. This catch is simply a bent rod of the form shown clearly bythe dotted line in Fig. 3, the rod working freely on a small shaft y',as shown clearly by the dotted lines in Fig. l. The shaft b, is notchedat its upper part to receive the end of a pawl e, which is attached tothe top of the box A.

At the back part of the compartment a, of the box A there is a bait-boxZ which is divided from the compartment a by bars m. This bait box has aglass slide a for its outer side in order to admit light and render thebait in the box Z distinctly visible.

The base B of the box A is sufficiently large to cover the barrel orother vessel on which it is placed. The bait is placed in box l, thecorde, wound around the shaft b, and the trap is set ready foroperation. An opening or uentrance o is made in the front end of thecompartment c of the box A, through which entrance the animal enters,attracted by the bait in box Z, and when the animal is on the treadle orplatform D, its weight will depress the platform and the catch it, andthe weight and cord g, c, will rotate the partition C, just half arevolution, the animal by said movement of the partition being throwninto the lcompartment d, and consequently falling through the o ening ainto the water in the receptacle be ow. As soon as the animal is thrownoff the platform the latter by its elasticity rises and the catch L,arrests the rotation of the partition C, when it completes a halfrevolution and arrives at its previous or original position. The trapconsequently is set ready for a suc ceeding operation. Then the weight gis run down the cord e is again wound on the shaft b. The cord may be ofsu'Hicient length to admit of many operations or half revolutions of thepartition C. It will be seen that the bait in the box Z remainsuntouched, as the animal actuates the catch 71. before the bait isreached.

7e are aware that rotating partitions have been placed within boxes forthe purpose of forming self-setting traps, but we are not aware that apartition has ever been placed within a box and arranged so as to dividethe box into two compartments, one provided with an opening at itsbottom or rather with no bottom at all and the other having a springtreadle and catch, and a bait box communicating with it.

We do not claim therefore any of the the opening a in the compartment d,the

Within described parts separately; but, Whole being combined andarranged as and 10 We do claim as new and desire to secure forth thepurposes specified. by LettersPatent- V. O. SPENCER. 5 The revolvingpartition C, Within box A J. R. SPENCER.

actuated by the cord and Weight or its equiv- Witnesses: alent; theSpring treadle or platform D, F. M. SPENCER, With catch i1, attached,the bait boX Z, and C. R. SPENCER.

